as in clowning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
their madcap buffoonery turned the duo into the nation's hottest comedy act
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Recent Examples of buffoonery
Death by Lightning, adapted by Mike Makowsky from Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book and directed by Matt Ross, hums with the strength of these performances, particularly Shannon’s quiet composure and Macfadyen mining new depths of buffoonery.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.
—Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.
—Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffoonery
Noun
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As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
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Comedy and clowning are ways Zaalan has connected with their homeland after the Syrian revolution.—
Candace Hansen,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Jazz are 15-35, which puts them at the sixth pick if zero lottery-ball tomfoolery happens.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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But enough of all that tomfoolery, because there is one person on the beach who knows exactly what is about to happen!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
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Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
Noun
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The precisely choreographed horseplay in the first act of his Nutcracker is physical comedy at its best.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
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More horseplay: Saturday brings the 75th running of the Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, a chance to watch horses that will soon run in the Kentucky Derby, but also an excuse for locals to dress up with outfits topped by a hat or fascinator.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One way to stop this proliferation of deep-fake nudity is to prosecute the offenders and make examples that such foolery has consequences.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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Lane didn't stop the foolery there, though.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The film, which debuted on Netflix April 1, deploys a deliberately eccentric tone, mixing slapstick, satire and spy-thriller tropes with Das’ irreverent comedic sensibility.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
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Ditto Dor, a former ballerina who pitches her character’s upwardly mobile striver somewhere between sultry slapstick and interpretive dance.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Much of the time is spent interacting with young schoolchildren, with whom Galifianakis exhibits a deadpan playfulness — testing them on names of apple varieties (McIntosh?—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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That playfulness has manifested in audiences seeing a different side of Probst — from him rapping a tribe swap reveal to doing impressions of three players (including Christian Hubicki, who was sitting just feet away) at a tribal council.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buffoonery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffoonery. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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